Axe man was aware of his actions, court told

Former Blue Bulls flanker Phindile Ntshongwana was aware of his actions when he went on a killing spree, the Kwa-Zulu Natal High Court in Durban has heard.

Ntshongwana was in court to determine whether he was fit to stand trial after allegedly killing four people in Durban.

Policeman Lt-Col Jason McGray described to the court an incident in which Ntshongwana allegedly struck Khayelani Mdluli with an axe in Umlazi on March 22, 2011.

“The accused approached Mdluli, he took out an axe from an orange plastic bag and hit him with it on his back.”

Mdluli escaped uninjured.

McGray told the court that when Ntshongwana took the axe and put it in his vehicle he knew what he was doing.

Ntshongwana faces four charges of murder, two of attempted murder, one of kidnapping and one of rape.

The timeline of the crimes revealed that on November 26, 2010, Mhleli Ngcobo was walking up Sterling road in Yellowood Park when the accused got out of his vehicle and allegedly beat him repeatedly with a baton until he lost consciousness.

McGray testified that Ntshongwana kidnapped and raped a woman on November 28, 2010.

“He picked her up in Albert Park, Durban, and kept her in a confined room at his residence in Yellowood Park.”He allegedly raped her repeatedly and kept her captive until December 1.

“He told the woman to phone her family and tell them she was with her boyfriend which indicates he was aware of what he was doing,” McGray said.

Ntshongwana is charged with murdering Thembelenkosini Cebekhulu in Montclair on March 20, 2011, Paulos Hlongwa in Lamontville on March 22, 2011, and Simon Ngidi on March 23, 2011.

On April 1, a decomposed body was found on Sandpiper Street in Yellowwood Park, 500 metres away from the accused’s home.

According to McGray the car which Ntshongwana used when he committed the crime was found to have blood stains after it was taken for forensic tests.

Bloodied takkies were also found in a dog kennel at the accused’s home. One of the takkies was missing a shoe cap that was found next to the decomposed unidentified body.